Skip to main content

Microsoft cancels Build 2020 conference due to coronavirus

Microsoft’s Build 2020 is the latest tech conference forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak. Planned to occur from May 19 to May 20 in Seattle, reports indicate that Microsoft has canceled the annual in-person developer conference in favor of a digital event instead.

At the time of publication, the company had yet to update its Build 2020 webpage with any new information about the cancellation. In a statement seen on multiple publications, Microsoft said it is putting the safety of the community first. The company has also provided the community a webpage for information on how to get refunds for all of its events canceled or postponed due to Coronavirus.

Recommended Videos

“The safety of our community is a top priority. In light of the health safety recommendations for Washington State, we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event, in lieu of an in-person event. We look forward to bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn, connect and code together. Stay tuned for more details to come,” said a Microsoft spokesperson.

At Build, Microsoft usually shares developer-specific announcements and information rather than new products. Last year, the company launched its new Edge browser based on Chromium. There weren’t any specific rumors about the announcements of Build this year, but Microsoft has plenty to discuss with the upcoming launch of Windows 10X and its dual-screen devices later this year. Although the company hasn’t announced anything specific, you can expect some kind of a digital event that will include all the same announcements and developer sessions through online streams like many other companies have moved to.

Microsoft Build is just one of many technology events impacted by Coronavirus. Google also canceled its I/O developer conference, and The Electronic Software Association also canceled the E3 2020 gaming expo. Sports leagues across the United States have also canceled events and public gatherings, including Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
MacBook production delays could cause trouble for Apple
Apple products are seen in the store.

Apple is rumored to be releasing updated versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 lines later this year. Unfortunately, the pandemic is still causing delays as manufacturers implement measures to prevent additional spread -- and now those release dates could be in jeopardy.

Shanghai and other Chinese cities are instituting lockdowns in response to the latest wave of infections according to a report from Nikkei Asia. Three of Apple's key manufacturing partners have been affected and ceased production due to the lockdowns. Pegatron, an important iPhone supplier, halted production at two of its sites. Quanta, a big name in laptop and MacBook manufacturing, also halted production near Shanghai.

Read more
Get the COVID-19 booster shot, Apple reportedly tells staff
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

Apple has reportedly told its store and corporate employees to get the COVID-19 booster shot or face frequent tests for the virus.

“Due to waning efficacy of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and the emergence of highly transmissible variants such as Omicron, a booster shot is now part of staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe disease,” Apple said in a staff memo seen by The Verge.

Read more
Microsoft’s Clippy finally lands on latest Windows 11 build as an emoji
Clippy returns to Windows 11 as an emoji.

Microsoft's iconic Clippy assistant for Office is making a big comeback on Windows 11, but in another form. Rather than bringing back Clippy as another digital assistant, the iconic character will instead replace the standard paperclip emoji in Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system. Clippy's return is part of Microsoft's latest November 2021 Windows 11 Insider preview build. Along with Clippy, there are also a number of new emojis that Microsoft is showing off.

The new emoji style that Microsoft is bringing to Windows 11 through this latest optional software update sports a 2D appearance compared to the 3D styles that were previously previewed. The company claims that the new emoji were created using its new Fluent design style, and its team of designers worked to make emoji scalable.

Read more